Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Year in Review

Well, another year is just about over. It’s really amazing how fast they go. This time 12 months ago a lot of things were really quite different.

1st off… I had just turned 16 6 weeks before. Kinda scary… because 17 seems much more mature (heck, I can now officially play MATURE games. ). Then of course, Brian was still in School, I think… yes, he was. He had almost finished school and had told me in he would be going to the Uni of Chicago, after he finished at Hebron.

This time last year I had not yet been to Europe, seen Scotland, or played World of Warcraft. This time last year I didn’t own my own laptop. I didn’t have a next gen console, Jacob had not taken his O’ Levels, I only owned one RPG game… so many things had not happened.

I think the most important experience I had this year was without a doubt: Europe and America. I learned a lot about myself, my future, and my family during those trips. I saw London for the first time and, to put it very simply, London is the most awesome city I have ever been to; better than Bruges, better than Singapore, Bangkok, Calcutta, Mumbai, and Dhaka. If I could live anywhere in the world, right now I’d probably pick London.

I was still in 10th grade and graduation seemed like a vaguely far off thing. I was still in High School and I didn’t really think about College that much. Now, I’m about half way through 11th grade and I’m ready, eager even, for college. I’m sick of High School in a lot of ways; I’m also ready to be off into the might, mystical, strange, and perhaps even frightening land of the USA.

I really got into RPGs this year. I mean, really really. Before I thought just WFRP, but not I have DnD, WFRP, Fireborn, Star Wars, Dark Heresy, and I’ve played in others, Blood! True20, and various other games. RPGs are amazing.

I learned to play DotA. Okay, I could play DotA, but I really perfected my DotA skills. I realized when playing today that I know every hero (basically) in the game. I can play some tanks and lots of pushers/killers/stunners well. Heck, if I could play regurarly with my friends (we can't stupid crazy school schedules) I would be in a proper clan that wasn't half bad.

I learned that only the Asians are true gamers. Sorry all you halo players, you fail in comparsion to pro starcraft players.

I dunno… I become more mature. I grew a lot. I mean, I really grew. Looking back at life there are those important years, you know? The years that are important and that despite the fact that crazy stuff happens, you do okay, you in fact prosper. That’s what I did this year. Crazy stuff happened. A lot. But I lived. In fact, I prospered, I became a better person, a person who, despite all my horrid, horrid, faults that next year when I do my year in review (darn it… I’ll be EIGHTEEN next year… *semi panics*) I’ll be ready for adulthood.

That my friends, is my year in review.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Freedom

I
Am
Free
For
The
Rest
Of
The
Year!

And that spells... Iafftroty... nothing... oh well...

Friday, December 12, 2008

Fireborn

Well, after what was a very slow middle my Fireborn game on pbphouse.com is finally starting to pick up.

The game is the Fire Within introductory adventure. In this game my PCs play as Dragons Reborn in Modern London (well... London 2004). Magic has come back to London and strange things are about.

The PCs I have are Oliver Kneeler, a painter/artist and Felix Drake: A stubborn PI who doesn't want to have anything to do with this "magic" stuff that's been going on. He's in denial about it. I'm running a NPC companion called Robert something who's invovled in a Gang and lives in a run-down part of the city.

So the PCs, after much pushing, pulling, and dragging arrive at a rooftop Cafe where they all talk a bit, and then, suddenly, are attacked. A bullet shatters a pot and a bunch of crazies charge them all and attack with clubs, 2 by 4s and a few random knives. The PCs manage to fight them off (with Robert actually doing the most damage... lol... Felix and Oliver aren't the best fighters). During the fight the thugs overwhelm Felix, meaning that he is unable to dodge a bullet which hits his right shoulder. The party, after defeating the crazies runs off the roof (over the body of teh dead waitress) into an alley to talk a bit.

To put it in nice terms: Felix is mad. Very mad. He didn't want to go to the Cafe (and was kinda dragged by random bouts of pain and naseaa) and now has a bullet in his shoulder. Robert and Oliver manage to help him patch himself up and then Felix (after much yelling, cursing, and name calling by Robert and Felix) walks off in a angry huff. Oliver is more calm, and manages to get Robert's phone number. The two men then depart.

Now, I have a very angry, stubborn PC who proceeds to get drunk and smoke a pack of ciggs. I thought this was really funny but I loved the way it all happened. Plus I really like Felix's character. A very cliche hard boiled PI who doesn't give a darn about anything.

And so now, since he's getting drunk, I have a bit of a solo with the other PC, Oliver. Oliver goes home and does some stuff... and then I have him get a phone call. These people talk to him and tell him to meet these guys at a local bar/restaurant. They talk a bit but basically the guy gives Oliver a package and leaves.

Oliver then, after much moaning, groaning, and thinking, goes to Robert's house. Robert, and his friend Prokash, look over the package and suggest that Oliver should open it. Oliver does so. The package contains a bunch of random newsclippings and photos. Photos of Oliver, Robert, and Felix, plus some guy called Mark Garren. There are also "intelligence reports" on all three people. Robert, using the info given on Mr. Felix, calls the guy, and talks to him.

Several posts later: Felix will be meeting Robert because he is afraid some psycho has info on his family and might use it against him. Felix isn't cruel; just stubborn. So they'll be meeting in a few days.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Imperium Nova

Recently I’ve been playing a browser based strategy/RP game called Imperium Nova.

http://www.imperiumnova.com:8080/Imperium/

The game is basically a big make a ton of money thing. I’m house Reiand in the galaxy of Erinadius and I’m in the mercantile sphere of influence. That is to say, I run a bunch of different routes about the galaxy buying and selling stuff.

The game is good fun. It would be horribly boring if not for the RP interaction between houses. For instance, due to a complicated system of events two of the major power bases in my galaxy have left the game and their accounts will be deleted due to inactivity in a few days. The result will cause a vacuum of power and will… interesting things will probably happen… Also, the current Emperor of our galaxy is a self-proclaimed Tyrant who enjoys bossing everyone around. It’s not a matter of if he will survive (because if the other houses wanted to destroy him, they could) but more of a when… good fun.

Of course, being the pathetic house that I am I can’t actually DO anything except ask for handouts (which btw are really useful. I just say “hello” to someone and they throw me 20,000 credits, I started with 10K… those credits literally kept me alive in the game. I’m still running off of them 5 months later) and beg for mercy (which I did when I got caught smuggling… no one told me the fine was 50k!). Anyways I’m enjoying it.

That’s all for now!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

A rant

For all I love Star Trek, it bugs me sometimes.

Take warfare in Star Trek, the ground warfare they do… in all honesty, is horrid.

First off, NO ONE WEARS ARMOR! Hello? The American Army/Marines/Navy/Airforce uses armor. Kevlar is useful, as is ceramic plates. All other Sci-fi settings (starwars, 40k, etc) I know of use armor. No armor makes no sense. Seriously, get some sort of suit that absorbs the engery of a phaser/disruptor blast!

Every single army has exactly two weapons: a pistol and a rifle. Okay, that’s great for most small scale boarding parties and the like, but in a few episodes (the Siege of AR-558 from the 7th Season of DS9) we have large scale engagements… proper battles not small engagements. Where are the grenades? The Heavy Machine Gun type weapons? The hi-tech targeting gear? The tanks?!!! Sense making = no.

Then… we have more of a minor quibble: close combat weapons. Two armies equip their soldiers with close combat weapons: the klingon empire and the Dominion. The dominon have knives and polearm/axe things and the Klingons have tones of close combat swords, axes, knives, and the like. Starfleet… has fists -_-. Give the fact that Klingons and the Jem’Hadar pretty much rock and pwn humans in terms of strength… I don’t see how or why this has happened. Bayonets are issued to the USMC today, and the Marines have used them in Iraq, not often, but it does happen. In Star Trek, interestingly, close combat happens a lot, and we are often left with Captain Sisko punching a Jem’Hadar while said Jem’hadar pwns him with his strength… hello?

Another thing… the borg… have shields. But, in Star Trek First Combat Capt. Picard killed two with a Thompson SMG, proving that you don’t need a phaser to kill one. My question is this: if a weapon invented in the 1910’s and used in WWII killed two borg, why did Starfleet not invent a solid slug based weapon specifically meant to combat the Borg? Instead Star Fleet is often panicking when facing Borg Boarding parties because they only get 3-5 shots with their phasers… and then it delovles into a melee where only Vulcans, Klingons and Mr. Data stand a chance. Once again this goes back to the close combat weapons…borg pwns humans, so why don’t the humans get a friggin knife?

Oh well… besides all that, Star Trek is an amazing show. :D

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Stuff...

Well I now have a laptop cooler. I think its helping with my overheating issues... I'm glad I have it in any case.

And what else have I done in the meantime? I've started ANOTHER medieval total war II game this time on the hard setting... its harder for sure. I'm France, and I've only just gone to war with England... and its going very slow. I have no money (NO MONIES!!!!!) and thats very bad. Knights and spear men are expensive (armored sergeants are like... 500 florins+ and Knights are about the same price), a decent army needs like 2 units of knights and at least three sergeant spearmen squads, plus some archers. Also... I went on a crusade. I did it for the money and stuff (its kinda funny, but for an army that has access to south france or spain, or any coastal area in south europe/north africa its really easy to conquer Jerusalem... plus crusader military units are CHEAP like 200 for a squad of knights) that hasn't turned out TO well. I have a ton of priests doing their job to convert the masses... but I lost Jerusalem to riots. :( I'm at war with Egypt and that... isn't fun. I can hold my own (damacus and Arce) but thats really about it.

Oh, and I went ahead and conquered Scotland. Its kinda funny how you can do stupid things like that... in two battles I destoryed the Scottish people. Next stop... ireland! Oh, and I need to kick the English out of Mainland Europe... :D

I haven't done much else this week or last... besides thanksgiving of course. So that's about all I have to say.

edit: Its now December... dang... everything goes so fast in this world!